Part Three: May 1985, The Bean, The Pope, and the “Stupid” Quote Happy TGIF! I think this installment will make a lot of sense on its own, but it will help you put it into better context if you read the first two blog installments from Monday and Wednesday. Monday’s blog was a quick glance at the brief history of Mistletoetom.com. To recap: we organized last year in early October and established our website and Facebook page in November. Our Facebook page has had about 7300 views of more than 100 posts. And we revisited a few of those stories – with some attention to “The Bean” – which was one of the first photos we published. Now we’re using what we’ve learned to move ahead with more content and more visibility. On Wednesday I wrote about the Mistletoe brand, the mission, and the content we deliver. I also announced a significant part of what we do will be converted to a non-profit entity soon. And I touched on some of the things that inspire us in our mission of spreading cheer throughout the year and telling the stories of heroes from all walks of life. I said we would continue the mission and move forward. And I mentioned “The Bean” again! Finally, I said I would try to wrap up this three-part blog today by sharing with you a story from May 1985 to tie all this together. So, it’s May 1985. But it’s more than one story: it’s more like a slew of isolated events that occur in a relatively brief, albeit pivotal period. Combined, they form and grow into some lasting memories. At the time I was stationed with the Air Force at Pruem Air Station, West Germany. It is in the Eiffel region, very close to the Belgian border, and not far from Luxembourg. I was assigned to a tactical radar unit that deployed frequently to watch the skies during the Cold War era. I had just returned in late April from a temporary assignment in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where I was maintaining communications systems for a radar unit that was monitoring the skies in the Middle East during the Iran-Iraq war. Saudi Arabia was a culture shock that no amount of my words can express. It was bigger than the difference between transitioning from being a civilian to joining the military ranks; it was bigger than the difference between American urban and rural communities; and it was bigger than the difference between the American way of life compared to the new things I was experiencing in Europe. It is a profound understatement to say I was relieved to be back in Germany. So, a couple weeks passed when, on May 7, 1985, President Reagan visited West Germany to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Specifically, he laid a wreath at a cemetery in Bitburg where many WWII German military are laid to rest. Among those buried there are some SS soldiers, and the symbolism of this visit sparked incredible controversy for Reagan. The airbase at Bitburg was not far from Pruem: less than 40 km (about 25 miles), or a half-hour drive. Most personnel assigned to Pruem went there routinely because it was our administrative headquarters, and it had more services. But during President Reagan’s visit, most of our personnel remained on duty at Pruem except for some of the higher ranks. I was disappointed that I couldn’t go to see Reagan. He had inspired me to enlist in the military in the first place. Politics aside, he improved the morale throughout the military ranks. And I would have enjoyed seeing him in person. But, like my Grandmother used to say so matter-of-factly, “It wasn’t meant to be.” Fortunately, another prominent figure on the world stage was visiting the Benelux (Belgium, Netherland, Luxembourg) region, too. And my two roommates, Kenny Popham and John McMullen, asked me to go to Luxembourg City to see him. We got permission from our supervisors for a day of leave, and we piled into my 1973 red Volkswagen Bug, and made the 90-minute trek on May 16, 1985. Traffic was heavy: lots of cars from all around Europe were on the roads heading to the same destination. Buses too. Pope John Paul II attracted quite a large crowd wherever he travelled. Both Reagan and JPII were staunch opponents of oppression. They broke down barriers. Both were great communicators. And they confronted communism head on. Arguably, more than any other leaders on the world stage, Reagan and Pope John Paul II led the way to disassembling the Soviet stranglehold on Europe during the 1980’s, and they were champions for the dignity of human life. To see the Pope in person, for me, was like Christmas. It was a gift. My roommates, Ken and John, were both raised Catholic. I was too. We were junior enlisted in rank, but we had enough time-on-station and time-in-service to be granted permission to move off-base to make room in the dormitory for the newer troops. Together we rented a small apartment in a farmhouse in Stimulant, a small village near Pruem. We parked the car about a mile-and-a-half from the venue where the Pope would say Mass. We followed the crowds to the large open area selected for the event. I don’t know how many people were in the crowd but having attended many major sporting events with large crowds in attendance, I can say with certainty there were tens of thousands of people gathered there that day. We positioned ourselves as near to the stage as possible. The nearest we could get was more than the length of a football field away from the stage. The entire venue could have accommodated five or six football fields, and it was packed with people. Multiple lanes or aisles were cleared and guarded by hundreds of uniformed security personnel to make alternate paths for the Pope to enter the area in his Pope-Mobile. And we were about ten feet away from the nearest path. It was our good fortune that, of all the possible routes he could have taken to access the stage, the Pope travelled down the path closest to where we stood. I spent more time looking at him with my own eyes than through the camera lens. The pictures verify that. But I was glad that I didn’t concentrate on the camera, because at one point when he was only about 20 feet away, Pope John Paul II looked me in the eyes. He had lion’s eyes, a gentle and confident smile, and a heart full of love for humanity. I will never forget that moment. It has been thirty-three years and I still see it in my mind’s eye vividly. And it changed me in a positive way. Later that day, hours after contending with the crowds and traffic, we returned to our apartment. Each of us were anxious to call home – back to the states – to tell our family about our eventful day. When I told my Mom… You know, some news is more memorable than others. And sharing good news with people who love and support you is the most memorable. On a par with announcing the birth of her Grandchildren, my Mom’s reaction to the news in my phone call that day was sheer, sweet, heartfelt joy. She could sense the excitement from the tone of my voice before I uttered a full sentence. She knew it was meaningful and profoundly moving for me, and for that reason, Mom’s heart filled with gladness for me. What Mom knew was that I was growing into the world. Learning about the world around me. And already looking at ways to help others grow and learn, too. I was maturing. Far beyond the stage of a seed… or a bean. Do you know that beans are seeds? Beans are seeds of bean plants. If you plant a bean and care for it properly, it will grow and flourish. It will produce more beans.
In 1985 a British sculptor named Anish Kapoor was still establishing himself. He had earned some acclaim and high-profile attention for sculptures exhibited in London, and he was experimenting with various materials to produce his artwork. It would be almost another ten years before he was awarded a high profile public commission to produce a piece in Japan, and then another in Toronto. In 2006 Kapoor finished a 110-ton stainless steel structure with a mirrored finish at Millennium Park in Chicago. It is titled “Cloud Gate” but it has come to be widely known as, “The Bean.” Millions of people have viewed it over the years. It was one of the first photographs I took and published specifically for Mistletoe Enterprises. By design. In Monday’s blog I said this as I reflected on the significance of The Bean: “It is an intriguing piece of mirrored art that attracts millions of tourists. Standing near it, one can look at its curved contours and see themselves, but it reflects much more than the massive space it occupies. It’s a reminder that others may not view us the way we see ourselves; sometimes we need to move – a little or a lot - to see things from a different perspective; sometimes we need to step back to get a better look at our surroundings; and sometimes, even a great picture does not tell an accurate story.” Today I added that a bean is a seed. It is about growth. Now I can tie all this together. The mission of Mistletoe Enterprises LLC is to educate others by spreading cheer throughout the year and telling the stories of heroes from all walks of life. We do so because we have been inspired to do so. I have had role models, teachers and mentors who have inspired me throughout my life. They are in my family, they taught me in schools, they led me in the military. A few were leaders on the world stage. Some have been artists. Some have been nurses. Teachers. Historians. Writers. Scientists. Explorers. Farmers. Firefighters. Police officers. Athletes. Volunteers. For my small part in contributing to the education of others – paying it forward – helping others grow, I started Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor to educate, spread cheer, and tell the stories of heroes. I’m using the gifts I’ve been given the best way I know how. I value education, history, and the Thomistic philosophy that espouses truth, and I instill that into every word I publish as much as I possibly can. But I am not perfect! The stupid quote goes here. Pope John Paul II is widely accepted to have once said, “Stupidity is also a gift from God, but one mustn’t overuse it.” But I’ll finish with an even more appropriate quote from Saint John Paul II. “Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give.” I’ve had many blessings in my life. From my family, travels, education, friendships, and experiences I’ve been inspired to create Mistletoe Enterprises to give so others may learn. That said, I invite you to help Mistletoe Enterprises in our mission to educate. Share this blog. Visit the website. Tell others. Plant a bean. Help us grow. Help others grow, too. (And I’ll do my best not to be stupid.) Have a good, safe Memorial Day weekend. I’ll be back here Monday with reflections about those who have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy.
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AuthorTom Davis is the owner of Mistletoe Enterprises LLC. He also publishes and distributes the Victory & Valor Flyer, it tells the stories of heroes from all walks of life. Archives
December 2018
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